2005Explorer Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Anyhow I have always driven a Ford, but as my lease on my 2011 Escape winds down I am starting to look around a bit. As most of you know, I don't really care for the styling of the new Escape and although I am open to leasing another Escape I'm just not that thrilled about the new one. It doesn't really stand out and just seems to be another compact Japanese "me too" CUV. With that said, I really like the Explorer and even though I am single I have driven Explorers in the past. They do seem to lease pretty well at this time as well and although the MPG is lower I find them to be a more attractively styled vehicle then many CUVs on the market today. I also am not ruling out the Edge either. I am wondering if they won't have some good deals on the Edge since I believe 2014 is the last year for the current design. With all that said what do you guys think of the 2014 Cherokee? I like the styling more then the Escape and I do like the available V6. I also see it is available with a 4,500 lb. tow package and will likely be better then the Escape off road. It's hard for a loyal Ford guy to leave, but I'm just exploring my options right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullynd Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 I'm no fan of the current Escape, and have the same issue, will likely have to go non-Ford for a replacement. That said, the new Cherokee is, by far, the ugliest thing on wheels. They out Azteked the Aztek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005Explorer Posted July 20, 2013 Author Share Posted July 20, 2013 I'm no fan of the current Escape, and have the same issue, will likely have to go non-Ford for a replacement. That said, the new Cherokee is, by far, the ugliest thing on wheels. They out Azteked the Aztek. This looks as bad as the Aztec? I guess at least in this trim level I think it's pretty attractive other then the bizarre split headlights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 I'm not a huge fan of the escape styling but the Cherokee is hideous. But if you like it that's all that matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papilgee4evaeva Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 That angle is particularly problematic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLaudioF150 Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 I'm not a huge fan of the escape styling but the Cherokee is hideous. But if you like it that's all that matters. Hadn't seen it until now. I think it's fugly. Then again most in this segment are, Escape being the better looking one IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005Explorer Posted July 20, 2013 Author Share Posted July 20, 2013 Hadn't seen it until now. I think it's fugly. Then again most in this segment are, Escape being the better looking one IMO. Well I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think from the side the Cherokee looks quite nice with the trail package. The front I don't care for and wish they would have just went with a Grand Cherokee style for the front. The back has a little too much Escape in it like pretty much every other small CUV these days. Well I expected this board to be a bit biased on the styling. I mean if someone else were to put tacky fake fender vents on a vehicle they would be ridiculed for it, but they are great on the Escape. I'm not exactly sure what I will do. Either I just have to give in and drive something that I think is ugly or just move up to the Explorer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Other than the front 2 feet of the vehicle, I actually kinda like the styling of the Cherokee. The front 2 feet though, wow! Or is it 4 feet that the front headlights take up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papilgee4evaeva Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Well I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think from the side the Cherokee looks quite nice with the trail package. The front I don't care for and wish they would have just went with a Grand Cherokee style for the front. The back has a little too much Escape in it like pretty much every other small CUV these days. Well I expected this board to be a bit biased on the styling. I mean if someone else were to put tacky fake fender vents on a vehicle they would be ridiculed for it, but they are great on the Escape. I'm not exactly sure what I will do. Either I just have to give in and drive something that I think is ugly or just move up to the Explorer. But if you like it that's all that matters. This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomcat68 Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 I have to admit I do like the new Jeep from the side, but that front... I hope it looks better in person than in pictures. My opinion of the Caddy ATS really changed when I saw that in a car show and liked it after I said it looked bland in pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005Explorer Posted July 20, 2013 Author Share Posted July 20, 2013 I have to admit I do like the new Jeep from the side, but that front... I hope it looks better in person than in pictures. My opinion of the Caddy ATS really changed when I saw that in a car show and liked it after I said it looked bland in pictures. I completely agree. If only they had just stuck a Grand Cherokee front on it and called it a day. Anyhow I plan on test driving one when they start getting them in. I don't know if I can bring myself to leave Ford after owning 7 of them, but I am a compact CUV kind of guy and I'm just still not digging the new Escape. I usually lease so I guess I can make it through 3 years in something I consider ugly, but I'm just keeping my options open. I do like the more aggressive outdoorsy look of the Jeep as guy versus the city dweller, momma needs groceries styling of the Escape, but I can't really get an idea how the Jeep will look until I see it on the lot. Anyhow everyone who said it only matters what you think are correct. I just wanted to get a feel for what people were thinking. The interior looks nice and the engine choices are nice. I guess I will just have to see it in person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 I thought the same (horrific) until I saw it in person at the NYIAS. I think they are going to sell boatloads of them. It looks pretty cohesive in person. I don't necessarily agree on the naming since us Americans can't seem to figure out the difference between it and the Grand, but that's another story. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Once you get past the port holes in the front, it's not a bad vehicle.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullynd Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 It's the front that gets me. Makes me think Juke, and not in a good way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pioneer Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 I saw one of these on the road Thursday night going to the Bon Jovi concert at Ford Field. Had manufacturers plates on it. I can sum the styling up with one word. Woof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005Explorer Posted July 21, 2013 Author Share Posted July 21, 2013 (edited) It's the front that gets me. Makes me think Juke, and not in a good way. Yes I don't care for the front end, but in the right trim level I think this is sort of a cool little rig. I don't care for this color, but the trim looks cool. Now of course I understand some of you prefer the more mini-van look of the Escape. That's fine, but I don't think the Escape wins any beauty pageants. I will give Jeep credit for trying to make something unique instead of a carbon copy of every Asian CUV on the market like Ford did. Edited July 21, 2013 by 2005Explorer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullynd Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Has anyone jumped in to defend the Escape here? At least two of us said we aren't fond of it. The Kuga has none of the truckiness that made the previous one so appealing (to me). Yeah, it's a "girl car", but I'd drive a hot pink bedazzled escape before I'd ever drive something that looks like an aborted pig fetus. Luckily the Escape and Cherokee aren't the only options on the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005Explorer Posted July 21, 2013 Author Share Posted July 21, 2013 (edited) Has anyone jumped in to defend the Escape here? At least two of us said we aren't fond of it. The Kuga has none of the truckiness that made the previous one so appealing (to me). Yeah, it's a "girl car", but I'd drive a hot pink bedazzled escape before I'd ever drive something that looks like an aborted pig fetus. Luckily the Escape and Cherokee aren't the only options on the road. No they are not, but basically I'll have to either move up to an Explorer or a Grand Cherokee because every small CUV is about the same styling wise. Or maybe I will just say screw the MPG and get an F-150. I just liked the fact that Jeep tried to put a little truckiness into this when you can't seem to find that from anyone else in this class other then the GMC Terrain, which everyone says is ugly too. Edited July 21, 2013 by 2005Explorer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 If you're already temporizing over the Cherokee, don't buy it. I mean, good grief. You're spending enough money, dang it, you ought to buy something that you'll actually look forward to owning, not saying, 'Well, part of it looks kind of nice.' I mean shoot. If that's your attitude toward it, you got to ask yourself why you're spending the money at all. I'm not a fan of the Escape's styling, I think it's the worst looking of the EU-derived products, but I also do not think that its fascia is as "me-too" as some claim. And I think that the only things on the Cherokee that makes it look different from other vehicles in a non-space alien way are the squared wheel wells which --- IMO --- are themselves ridiculous. Such that *my opinion* on the Cherokee is that the only way in which it differs from the crowd is that it is more hideous. And if you want to give Jeep credit for not making a vehicle that looks like every other in the segment, then please, head down to the local watering hole and find the worst singer on Karaoke night and thank him (or her) for 'not sounding like everyone else.' I think you should go with the Explorer over the Edge, because I think you'll find the Explorer's more sophisticated AWD system better suited for the Hills than the Edge. I mean, your objection to the Explorer is that you're single and gas mileage---and the solutions there are: 'get over yourself' and 'drive like an old dude' respectively! Anyway, that's what I think about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005Explorer Posted July 21, 2013 Author Share Posted July 21, 2013 If you're already temporizing over the Cherokee, don't buy it. I mean, good grief. You're spending enough money, dang it, you ought to buy something that you'll actually look forward to owning, not saying, 'Well, part of it looks kind of nice.' I mean shoot. If that's your attitude toward it, you got to ask yourself why you're spending the money at all. I'm not a fan of the Escape's styling, I think it's the worst looking of the EU-derived products, but I also do not think that its fascia is as "me-too" as some claim. And I think that the only things on the Cherokee that makes it look different from other vehicles in a non-space alien way are the squared wheel wells which --- IMO --- are themselves ridiculous. Such that *my opinion* on the Cherokee is that the only way in which it differs from the crowd is that it is more hideous. And if you want to give Jeep credit for not making a vehicle that looks like every other in the segment, then please, head down to the local watering hole and find the worst singer on Karaoke night and thank him (or her) for 'not sounding like everyone else.' I think you should go with the Explorer over the Edge, because I think you'll find the Explorer's more sophisticated AWD system better suited for the Hills than the Edge. I mean, your objection to the Explorer is that you're single and gas mileage---and the solutions there are: 'get over yourself' and 'drive like an old dude' respectively! Anyway, that's what I think about that. Richard... Your right. I guess I just need to get what I want and to be able to do that I am just going to have to go larger which isn't all bad. I talked to my salesperson and he said that he can order me an F-150 STX SuperCab 4x4 with the 3.7 which will do pretty good on mileage and it will lease about the same price as an Escape SE 4x4. They just have 5.0's in stock now, but if I want a little better mileage since I don't tow much he thought the 3.7 V6 would be fine for me. He also said the leases on the Explorer XLTs are pretty good right now. It would be a little more then the F-150 or Escape, but would give me a little better MPG and more room to haul people. Anyhow I have a few months to go so I have a chance to order what I want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 (edited) Also--as you're a couple years younger than me (IIRC), I'll let you in on a little secret: Eventually, you'll want a bigger car. It happens to different people at different points in their lives--but just about everybody, at some point, will want that bigger car (Nick went from a Mazda6 to an Edge, Silvrsvt bought an SHO)... Heck. Happened to me. Might as well get a jump start on that phase of your life..... :D Edited July 21, 2013 by RichardJensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehaase Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 I generally dislike the styling of both the Escape and Cherokee, but I saw a deep blue Escape at the Ford dealer yesterday that looked very good. In the right color, any car can look quite good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullynd Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 I guess I just need to get what I want and to be able to do that I am just going to have to go larger which isn't all bad. Yeah, that's the tough spot - I don't like the (Current) Explorer, (Current) Escape, or Edge. We currently have a Flex and Escape. My Escape will need to be replaced at some point (She just hit 150k!) and I may have to go non-Ford. The good thing is the Flex has the family hauler duties covered, so I could end up with an entirely different Ford (Focus, Mustang, etc), or a Mid-size truck from someone else. If I were to stick with a small SUV I'd probably look at the Terrain (The only part I don't like it the wheel openings), CX-5 (Still a "cute-ute", but better than the Kuga IMHO), and Xterra (tho Ancient). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang let back Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 It looks like shit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Other than the front 2 feet of the vehicle, I actually kinda like the styling of the Cherokee. The front 2 feet though, wow! Or is it 4 feet that the front headlights take up? I agree wtih you 100%...fix the headlights and it will be a contender Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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